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Originally posted here by dArtagnan "the OS is only as secure as the user makes it", well, what is with all these emergency patches and all the numerous security updates from microsoft then? if there was no problem, and an OS is as secure as a user makes it...no need for patches and security updates, right? Well, that is simply an opinion...

Just by doing those 3 things (plus others, I just woke up) you have eliminated your vulnerability to a large amount of vulns that need to be patched. Don't get me wrong though, that's just an example and I would never reccommend going unpatched.

switch browsers...you mean like mozilla? as far as "get a firewall" these guys seem to be saying you dont need one, if you know how to configure windows (or whatever os you are running)...and disable scripting, well, with all the websites i visit...kinda hard to do so (i do a lot of web browsing)

McAfee's firewall is ok, I have Win XP SP2 myself and im not even sure i can trust windows built in firewall, i mean like come on isn't a firwall suppose to be updated to be come stonger against certain attacks like "Newtear" attacks among other type of attacks. Although for some reason or another my firewall abruptly stopped working for like 2 seconds, so i immediatly got off the internet and did a full system for virii and spyware, fortunetly none were found, it seems that even for like 2 seconds of your firewall being down, sometimes thats all is need to compromise your system. Firewall's are as essential as virii scanners, because they both work hand in hand.

well, mac are hideously expensive for one...and also, most of the programs we commonly use (almost all games, and most software) is all geared to windows...same reason i imagine lots of people dont use linux...though of course, there ARE windows emulators, etc...

Look at the percentage of Mac HOMEusers compared to the Windows home users and you can EASILY see why windows gets viruses 99% more than Mac. Linux doesn't have many viruses yet because they still haven't really broken into the home market. Linux is still MAINLY used on servers, and an unpatched linux box is better off rooted and being used for something rather than just destructed. You can do a lot more from a Bash Shell than from cmd.

[H]ard|OCP <--Best hardware/gaming news out there--| pwned.nl <--Gamers will love this one --|
Light a man a fire and you\'ll keep him warm for a day, Light a man ON fire and you\'ll keep him warm the rest of his life.

Originally posted here by dArtagnan a buddy of mine only uses linux...and i dont think i ever heard him complain about hacker or virus problems yet...he uses redhat 8 now, i believe...

And I bet he keeps it halfway configured right and keeps it patched. Exact opposite of most windows users. A linux box with the same amount of effort as the average windows user puts in would be rooted within 2 or 3 hours.

[H]ard|OCP <--Best hardware/gaming news out there--| pwned.nl <--Gamers will love this one --|
Light a man a fire and you\'ll keep him warm for a day, Light a man ON fire and you\'ll keep him warm the rest of his life.